Carl Frampton surprised by £1.5m offer to fight Scott Quigg

CARL FRAMPTON and his Cyclone Promotions team are surprised by Matchroom’s offer of £1.5m to fight super-bantamweight rival, Scott Quigg.

Eddie Hearn – head of Matchroom Boxing – publicly declared he would post a cheque to Frampton in an effort to secure the fight on July 18. Quigg followed the announcement by telling Sky Sports there were now “1.5 million reasons” for IBF champion Frampton to fight him.

But Barry McGuigan’s Cyclone Promotions reacted with surprise, claimed they are in negotiations to deliver a co-promotion of the bout in June or July, and “have made several attempts to organise a follow-up meeting with Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Sport to progress these negotiations.”

The press release continued:

“Cyclone Promotions and Carl Frampton are therefore surprised by this afternoon’s public offer from Matchroom Sport to Carl Frampton.

“Matchroom Sport understands Carl Frampton is under contract with Cyclone Promotions. If Matchroom Sport are interested in joining Cyclone Promotions in staging this domestic superfight, we recommend Matchroom accept the invitation for a follow-up meeting.”

Frampton, guided to the world title by McGuigan, added: “My team and I have been in negotiations with Matchroom Sport to co-promote this fight. It has been made very clear to Matchroom Sport throughout the entire negotiation period that this huge domestic fight can only take place as a co-promotion. It is therefore frustrating that Matchroom have deviated from negotiations with this offer.”

Hearn’s offer would indicate a breakdown in those negotiations, but Quigg remains hopeful that the fight will take place.